Tooth-pick holder.



A. RODAL.

TOOTHPICK HOLDER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.!6, I916- Patented 0ct.16,1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

A. RODAL.

TOOTHPICK HOLDER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 16. 1916.

Patented Oct. 16, 1917.

2 SHE ET$SHEET 2.

pnrrn ear A MI AUGUSTO Ronni, on HABANA, CUBA.

TOOTH-PICK noLnEn.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Oct.

Application filed August 16, 1916. Serial No. 115,194.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AUeUsTo 30mm, a citizen of the Republic of Cuba, and a resident of Habana", Cuba, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Tooth- Pick Holders, of which the following is a specification. I

The invention relates to tooth-pick hold ers used for table ware and its object being to provide a tooth-pick holder capable of furnishing a tooth-pick without drawing one out with the fingers, but by means of discharging mechanism which is properly actuated, thus providing a device having important sanitary advantages.

The invention is described with reference tothe figures of the annexed drawings in which: I

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a toothpick holder, constructed according to my invention.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the toothpick holder shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of same.

Fig. 4 is a vertical longitudinal section of the said tooth-pick holder through the cenapart of the tooth p'ick discharging mechanism.

This tooth-pick holder is composed of a horizontal cylinder 1 which forms the receptacle for the tooth-picks 2. Said cylinder has in its lower part an aperture 3 of greater length than that of the tooth-pick and whose lateral; edges 1 are bent downwardly, and

said cylinder has also a longitudinal aperture 5 in its upper part, said cylinder is closed near its ends by means'of vertical plates 6. beyond which the cylinder projects outwardly forming annular flanges 1 broken away at the lower part of the cylinder, and said cylinder '1 is supported by means of the end cheek 7 which are of circular shape in their upper part and in the lower .part they are widened so as to form bases 7 to bear on the horizontal table or other support and each one of the cheeks hasa'n inner flange 7". The cheeks'nia'y be adjusted on the flanges-1 of the cylindi" 1, the flanges 7 being secured to the flanges 1 by means of small screws 8, one at each side, the plate of each cheek 7 being at a certain distance from' each vertical plate or end wall 6 of cylinder 1. The upper longitudinal aperture 5 of cylinder 1 is closed by means of a plate 9 having a transverse cross-section in the form of an arc and which is slidablealong said aperture andfits on the edges thereof by means of lateral flanges 10 which project therefrom. At one end said plate 9 is provided with an upper projection 11 from which extensions 12 extend to the sides and are superposed to the longitudinal edges of the aperture 5 and by means of which plate 9 is supported from the edges of said aperture, said edges serving'as a guide to the plate 9 in its sliding" movement. This plate 9 has on its other end a-small handle 12 to move the same inwardly or outwardly. The lower longitudinal aperture 3 of the cylinder serves for the discharge of the tooth-pick and it'is closed below by means of a shifting cover consisting of a plate 13 of arched or circular form in transverse cross-section and having its edges 13 raised until nearly touching the outer surface of cylinder 1. Said plate 13 has in its center an aperture 1 1 of greater length than that of a toothpick and whose edges .15 are bent down wardly, the width of said aperture 141 being hardly larger than that of a tooth-pick in order that only one tooth-pick at a time may be able to pass through said aperture. This plate 13 rigidly connected at its ends to two suspension arms 16 which are rotatively mounted on journals 16 projecting from the center of the vertical plates 6. Said arms 16 lie intermediate the ends of the cylinder 1 and the checks 7 outside of the plate 6 at the end of the cylinder. Un-

consists cf an upwardly directed angular' extension 19'formed on one of the arms 16 which has on its upper end a s'mallhandle 20, the stem 20' ofwhi ch p'ro j ou'ti wardly through an opening 21 to med on one of the flanges 1" or tasty Hatter" rate 7 of one of the cheeks 7, a spring 22 being wound on journal 16 which is attached by one of its ends to a small clamp 23 fixed on the outer face or" end wall 6 of cylinder 1. By its other end said spring 22 is attached to a smallclamp 24: fixed on the outer face of the" corresponding arm 16.

, arms 16 together with the discharging plate 13 are displaced from their normal position by operating the small handle 20, said spring 22 returns the same to their normal position by virtue of the elastic tension exerted by the spring as soon as the handle is released. i a

In the base 7 of each cheek there is rig; idly fixed a wire member 25 of downwardly curved form which is arranged intransverse position with its ends angularly bent and which forms a support for receiving the ends of the tooth-pick 2 that fall from the receptacle 1 when the discharging mechanism is properly actuated.

I The operation ofthe apparatus is as follows: i

Supposing cylinder 1 is occupied by a certainnumber of tooth-picks and the plate 13 with arms 16, is in the position shown by full lines in'Figs. l and 6 of the drawings, that is the aperture 14 of the plate 13 being closed by the lowerfixed plate 18, the small handle 20 is pulled by the fingers .to the-front and downwardly to shift backward arms 16 and plate 1 against the elastic tension of spring 22, whereupon, as the aperture 14: passes beyond the rear edge of the small obturating plate 18, the tooth-pick that was occupying the space of said aper-- ture 14 falls down, it then being caught and held in the lower supports 25. At the time of letting loose the small handle '20, the arms 16, with the lower plate 13, turn back again to their normal position until aperture 14 is again obturated by the small plate 18, another tooth-pick falling into said aperture 1 1 which also is'discharged' when the discharging mechanism is operated once more by means of small handle 20.

It isobvious that the form of the cylinder and that of the cheeks 7 as well as that of plates 13 and 18 may be changed without altering the spirit of the invention, which is'as pointed out in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention I claim:- A

1. In a tooth-pick holder, the combination with a cylindrical receptacle provided with a lower discharging aperture, sald receptacle having end walls, flanges on said end walls,,a shiftingrover below said lower aperture provided with [a longitudinalaperture to'afiord a passage for just one tooth pick. a fixed -p1ate normally* obtnrating said longitudinal aperturesof said-cover of apair, sppp orting the. ends. 95f Said By means of this arrangement, each time that the receptacle and whose upper portions are spaced outwardly ,from the end walls of said receptacle, flanges on said cheeks which are adjustable on said receptacle flanges, means for securing said check plates to said receptacle flanges, and suspension means for said shitting cover which projects upwardly between each end wall of the receptacle and the correspondlng spaced cheek, journals projecting from said end walls, saidmeans being pivotally mounted on said journals,

a portion of said means projecting out- 1' wardly from one of said suspension 'arms V; for rotatmg said vcover in its journals, and

a spring for resisting the movement of said cover away from the position of obturation.

2; In a tooth-pick holder, the combinationfwith a cylindrical receptacle provided with a lower discharging aperture and hav cheeks supporting theends of said receptaole and whose upper portions are spaced from the .end walls of the receptacle, flanges on said cheeks whichfitontheflanges on the receptacle, means for securing the cheek,

flanges on said receptacle fianges,' suspension arms for said shifting cover which pro-, ject upwardly between said end walls of the receptacle and said spaced cheeks, journals on said end walls inwhich said suspension arms are supported, one, 01 said shiftingcover suspension arms being pro vided with an extension prQjecting'outwardly and ending in a handle, and a pair of arched members pro ectlng from the cheeks beneath the discharging aperture for receiving the ends of every falling toothpick.

3, Ina tooth pick holder, the combination 7 with a cylindrical receptacle provided with a lower discharging aperture, said receptacle having end walls, flanges on said end 'wall's, a shifting cover below said lower aperture and provided with a longitudinal aperture to afi'ord'a passage for justfone" tooth pick, a fixed plate normally 'obt'urating I said longitudinal aperture 01" said cover,

of a pair of cheeks'supporting the ends of said-receptacle and whose: upper-portions are spaced outwardly rromthe end walls of" said receptacle, flanges on'said cheeks which .2

are adjustablecon saidreceptacle flanges, 7

means for securing said cheek plates onsaid arms for said shifting cover which project upwardly betweeneach endiwall ofthe re end flanges in adjustedrelation, suspension 5 f1 ceptacle and the corresponding spaced 7 cheek, journals projecting'rfromvsaid end walls, said suspension arms-beingpiv'otally mounted-"9n: sa1dournals,;-raeans pro ecting:

outwardly from one of said suspension arms for rotating said cover on its journals, and a spring for resisting the movement of said cover away from the position of obturation.

4t. In a tooth pick holder, the combination with a cylindrical receptacle provided with a lower discharging aperture and having end walls, flanges on said receptacle, a shifting cover below said aperture and provided with a longitudinal aperture to afford passage for just one tooth pick, and an unlnovahle plate normally obturating said longitudinal aperture of said cover, of a pair of cheeks-supporting the ends of said receptacle and whose upper portions are spaced ii'rom the end walls of the receptacle, flanges on said cheeks which fit on the flanges on the receptacle, means for securing the cheek flanges on said receptacle flanges, suspension arms for said shifting cover which project upwardly between each end wall of the receptacle and the corresponding spaced cheek, said end walls having journals projecting therefrom on which said suspension arms are pirotally mounted, a spring wound in one of said ournals and having one of its ends fixed to the respective end wall and the other of its ends fixed to the respective suspension arm, this shifting cover suspension arm being provided with an extension projecting outwardly and ending in a handle, and a pair 01 arched members projecting from the cheeks beneath the discharging aperture for receiving the ends of every falling tooth pick.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

AUGUS'TO RODAIJ.

WVitnesses CARLOS Noennsorr, RAOUL F. iVAsmNoToN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). G. 

